Archive for the ‘House’ Category

The projects we have done so far have had very centric locations within the city of Barcelona: Ciutat Vella, Eixample, Gràcia, Poble Nou… This time, however, it was at the centre of it all. Located in Plaça Catalunya, the first thing we did was to look out from the generous balcony doors to the urban sights outside, from a very privileged location on one of the building’s top floors. It was then that we knew that the day zones were to be located towards these valuable openings to the city’s frenetic rhythm.

In collaboration with the biggest Slovenian manufacturer of prefabricated homes Marles, SADAR+VUGA has designed a modern, eco-friendly house, currently featured as part of the Marles stand at the Ljubljana fair “SEJEM DOM 2015″.

I met the home owner on a rainy afternoon. He introduced me to his house, which, though a bit old but was spacious, had three floors, a front yard and a backyard and was fully functional for the whole family of three generations living together. At first, I thought he only wanted to renovate the house and its living space. But I was wrong, the design task given by the home owner was very simple and concise that I had never heard before: “Let’s give me a blueprint so emotional that I can have enough courage to tear down this house.” It was from this abstract statement that our work started.

K22 is a house of 3 siblings, each of them begins to be grown-up subsequently but they all have the same intention to live together with their parents and taking care of each other like they did previously. The house is located in the inner zone of Bangkok “Huay Kwang”, they all decided to live together in the familiar district better than settling down separately which would result in more costs for land and construction. The main concept of the house is to design sharing spaces for all family members while providing privacy for each one of them. It could be compared as a family’s apartment where each of them has their own living unit, and the common space that perfectly fits the needs and activities of people from two different generations. Consequently, the house promotes all members to spend their time and share their moments together as one big family.

Casa Gaviota (Seagull House) is a project developed through a thorough site analysis and conscious awareness of the environment. Located in a mountain surrounded by topographic depressions, a mellow river and very close to the northern Pacific coast of Costa Rica, it stands lightly and volant on the terrain holding more than 80% of its areas in the air. It touches the ground only as needed, reducing the humidity and soil sealing and maximizing the natural ventilation through the project. The precise east – west orientation allows Casa Gaviota to fully open its north facade providing all the indirect lightning for the house and creating different environments that dramatically change throughout the day. A nearby river that refreshes and nourishes the flora and fauna of the place can be appreciated visually and aurally from the deck. The house stands at the height of the canopy of the trees. The opening between the two modules allows the user to continue its path through the mountain, the same path that existed before the house was built. The house does not interfere between nature and oneself.

The 50-year-old wooden house had been left to lie in ruin. The roofs had fallen down, the exterior walls had broken, and the floors, walls and ceilings had dismantled of those concept. In the circumstances, the house had been tolerated the invasion of animals and plants from outside and it seemed as if the house had been turning into feral; however, we could found out that the feral house involved a kind of aesthetics and potentiality.

This house, a significant part of Brookline’s 19th century residential history, had suffered through decades of piecemeal renovations, deferred maintenance, structural compromise and ultimately foundation collapse. This condition presented the opportunity to reorganize the original somewhat conventional central hall plan to take advantage of the complex siting; straddling a one story ledge while perched on a rise. The piano nobile, or living floor of the house is organized around a courtyard with a new South facing loggia (an extension of the central hall) wrapping around the kitchen and connecting the house to the adjacent indoor pool building. Additionally, the loggia terminates on the opposite (North) side of the building creating a ‘back door’. A new interior stair opens up the interior to a level of clarity both in terms of light and organization and terminates at the top floor in a retractable skylight visible from the entry level three stories below. A very high level of envelope efficiency and radiant flooring keep the building warm in the winter with minimal energy, but equally important, the building is detailed to facilitate living in a way that allows you to take advantage of the natural breezes that cross the site while amplifying the age old tactic of cross ventilation.

Classical palatial buildings and old industrial spaces, such as the medieval dockyards, both share (at least) three conditions. First of all, the space is continuous and flows from room to room. Secondly, the structural vanes are equivalent, regular and adaptable. And finally, the volume of the series of spaces is not only related to the room size, but also to the holistic interpretation of the building. Of course, other obvious features differentiate these two typologies.

By transforming a former office in Brussels into a homely loft, Dutch interior and furniture designer Robert Kolenik shows how a spaciously set up industrial apartment can be decorated as a warm, comfortable home.

Thus the rising star among designers, known for his sustainable interiors, adds a new chapter to his portfolio of challenging, high-profile designs. Robert Kolenik garnered international renown when he designed a kitchen counter featuring a large aquarium, and a carport with built-in solar panels for recharging electric cars. He is also responsible for the interior design of various restaurants and hotels, such as the iconic round hotel beside the A2 in Amsterdam. Kolenik is known for his unique Eco Chic style, for which he uses natural and sustainable materials.